By Abdullahi Lukman
On World Hand Hygiene Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging governments, healthcare facilities, and frontline workers worldwide to enhance hand hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infections.
The WHO stressed that while medical gloves are crucial in situations involving the risk of blood or body fluid exposure, they are not a substitute for proper handwashing.
Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course, emphasized the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings.
“Medical gloves can reduce the risk of infection, but they are never a replacement for hand hygiene,” he said. “On this World Hand Hygiene Day, let us double down on our commitment to improve hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings to ensure the safety of both patients and healthcare workers.”
Hand hygiene is a cost-effective and universal method to prevent infections, with every US\$1 invested in hand hygiene yielding up to US $24.6 in economic returns, according to WHO data.
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However, despite its proven effectiveness, 2 in 5 healthcare facilities still lack basic hand hygiene services, putting over 3.4 billion people at risk of preventable infections.
The overuse and misuse of medical gloves also pose significant challenges. Gloves, like hands, can become contaminated and are often misused, such as being worn for prolonged periods or between multiple patients. Improper glove usage contributes significantly to healthcare waste, adding to environmental degradation.
WHO reports that an average university hospital in a developed country generates 1,634 tons of healthcare waste annually—equivalent to over 360 African elephants—much of which could be reduced through proper hand hygiene practices.
The WHO is calling for urgent action from policymakers and the global health community to improve hand hygiene and reduce unnecessary glove use.
Key recommendations include establishing hand hygiene compliance as a national health system performance indicator by 2026, aligning national policies with WHO guidelines, and focusing on minimizing healthcare waste by reducing glove misuse.
“By investing in hand hygiene and rational glove use, we can save lives, reduce waste, and improve overall healthcare outcomes,” Dr. Aylward added.
The WHO urges all countries to prioritize hand hygiene as part of a broader effort to protect patients, healthcare workers, and the environment.
